It turns out England’s self-confidence might be a bit more resolute than their batting. It will take more than a couple of teetering performances to set this team’s morale atremble. So despite being nervy against Nepal and wobbly against West Indies, England could hardly have been more cocksure on the eve of a crucial T20 World Cup group fixture against Scotland. As Phil Salt put it: “When we’re at our best nobody can live with us.”
England arrived in India having lost once in 11 Twenty20 games over the previous 12 months, and that run continues to be a source of belief. “It’s just about getting to that space more often than we have in the last two games,” Salt said. “We’re not talking about 10 [bad] games or 12 games, we’re talking about two games where it’s fair to say we haven’t been at our best. But the good news is the competition is in front of us and we’ve got these opportunities to come. And if we can be that authentic side of ourselves – chests out, taking the game on and being smart – there’s nothing to stop us.
